Summary:
The city of Whitesburg, Kentucky is home to 5 schools, including 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The schools in this area serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and are part of the Letcher County school district.
Among the standout schools in Whitesburg is Letcher County Central High School, which has shown consistent improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 90th out of 276 Kentucky high schools in 2022-2023 to 55th out of 254 in 2024-2025. The school has also maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past two school years and boasts a 93.5% four-year graduation rate and a 1.1% dropout rate. Another strong performer is Whitesburg Middle School, which has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past three school years and has shown strong performance in mathematics, with 54% of 7th graders and 47% of 8th graders proficient or better on the KSA exam in 2024-2025.
While the schools in Whitesburg generally perform below the state averages in most subject areas, there are some exceptions. For example, Letcher County Central High School outperformed the state in 10th grade reading, 11th grade writing, and 11th grade social studies. Additionally, the schools in Whitesburg have high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 66.14% at Whitesburg Middle School to 77.87% at Cowan Elementary School. The Letcher County school district, which encompasses the Whitesburg schools, is ranked 95th out of 157 districts in Kentucky and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, suggesting that the district as a whole is underperforming compared to other districts in the state.
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